Dr Susan Feldman

Dr. Susan Feldman was the founding Director of The Alma Unit for Women and Ageing established in 1994 at the University of Melbourne, Australia’s first multi-disciplinary research and teaching unit dedicated to promoting an understanding of the health and wellbeing of ageing women.  Through her qualitative research Susan worked extensively with older women to identify the range and nature of health and wellbeing issues facing older women including the policy, social and educational responses which would enhance the health and well being of this growing sector of society. Over the ensuing years her work has expanded to include research on gender issues across the life span for older women and men from a range of cultural backgrounds and experiences.

Her current research interests include psychosocial issues facing older women and men from multicultural backgrounds, including those that impact on physical, emotional and mental health and wellbeing. She also has a keen interest in the relationships between generations and the impact that these have on the quality of individuals, family and community. Susan has researched and written extensively about the experience of the death of a spouse on the health and wellbeing of older people and in particular widowhood and older women.

Susan has had extensive experience of planning, evaluation and direct service delivery in the community and government, undertaking program management and policy development in the health and welfare fields, particularly in the area of homelessness, the redevelopment of the major night shelters in Melbourne and family violence. .

Her books include: The Art of Ageing Well and the Art of Caring for Older Adults, Baywood Press 2007, A Certain Age: Women Growing Older, 1999 Allen & Unwin, Something that Happens to Other People 1996 Random House, and Family Violence: Everybody’s Business, Somebody’s Life. 1991, Federation Press.

Susan holds an undergraduate degree in Film Theory, Latrobe University, an MA in Psychosocial Politics, University of Melbourne and awarded a PhD from Sydney University. 

She is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne, Centre for the Study of Health and Society.

Contact details:

Phone: 03 95012434
Fax: 03 8575 2233
Email: Susan.Feldman@monash.edu